Social Media and SEO: Why You Should Tweet, Post, and Share for a Boost in Organic Traffic

Three reasons why social media is now an important part of SEO and how to use it effectively to boost organic traffic.

It is now safe to say that old school SEO tactics that breed bad practices like content keyword stuffing no longer have any place in the current marketing arena. Google has forced those who relied for so long on unethical SEO practices to rethink their habits with a barrage of updates like Panda and Penguin that were aimed at ridding user generated search results of useless information. Now more SEOs are focused on doing things better, but many are unsure of exactly how to boost traffic to their websites the natural way, with organic search.

Generating Organic Search Results

Organic search results can be defined as listings “that appear because of their relevance to the search terms, as opposed to their being advertisements.” The distinction between what are actual search results versus ads became of importance in the SEO industry after research showed that most of what users were seeing returned highest on the lists from their search queries were nothing more than advertisements. Google has since made a lot of effort to reduce user frustration by making sure that search results in the top positions actually contain information relevant to what users search for.

Making one’s website appear in these results to boost organic traffic can achieved from the use of several ethical strategies such as content marketing and producing social signals through platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn.

Why is Social Media Useful for SEO?

According to Google SEO Expert Qamar Zaman, who is CEO of online press release distribution company Submit Press Release 123, social media is now a critical component of search engine optimization. Says Zaman, “social media has completely changed the game when it comes to influencing search results. It provides a means for businesses and professionals to become a dynamic and more engaging force in their market.”

Why and how? Three key reasons:

Social media provides social proof – The purpose of traditional strategies like link building was to provide proof that certain websites should rank above others based on things like the number of visitors it receives. However within this system, links can be manipulated by those who prefer to take the easy way out and buy them. Social media generated traffic provides the direct proof needed for this type of verification, showing that actual users really are visiting the site and deeming it relevant.

Social media helps one build an authoritative presence in the marketplace – Social media helps facilitate real time interaction with those within a target audience base who have expressed interest in what you have to offer. These platforms afford businesses the opportunity to keep awareness of their brand in constant view of consumers.

Social media generates real traffic to a website – As opposed to with link building, traffic generated through social media links are more prone to turn into actual customers.

It is important for those who choose to harness the power of social media engagement to drive organic traffic to know the rules for doing it effectively. These Zaman says include:

Being consistent – Making a post once in a while does not constitute real engagement, and will not lead to a substantial increase in followers or build major awareness about your brand.

Not waiting for your audience to engage with you – Prospects on social media are not going to ask you to chat just because you on their list of friends or followers. It is crucial that you join in their conversations or reach out to them in order to be noticed.

Being authentic – Dressed up advertisements do not bode well with social media users. They want to view you in terms of compatibility and how relatable your messages are for their needs, not see you as a salesman.

About Qamar Zaman

Qamar Zaman is the Founder & CEO of Submit My Press Release, an exciting young press release distribution technology start up. Qamar Zaman is building innovative press release and social media products that help small business achieve Google Rankings through their news.
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